Device for holding metallic strip in contact with conductor rolls



Aug. 18, 1942. SLALLEN EI'AL DEVICE FOR HOLDING METALLIC STRIP INCONTACT WITH CONDUCTOR ROLLS Filed April 28, 1939 lnuenlors: Maw/n5 44454nd 4180 4 flea/220x I Patented Aug.'18, 1942 umrso sTA'r Es PATENT'I-OFFICE DEVICE FOR-HOLDING METALLIC srmr m oou'rao'r wrrn ooNnUc'roaROLLS William s. Allen, Pittsburgh, Pa, and Howard G.

Bargteldt, Gary, ImL, assignors to Carnegie- Illinois Steel Corporation,a corporation oi New Jersey Application April 28; 191 .9, Serial No.210,109

' 1 Claim. 101. 204-206) which the pass line of the strip becomes tangento the conductor roll.

' Other ob,ects and advantages will becomesapparent. as the descriptionproceeds and reference may be efficiently transferred between the com A,

strip passing. over the conductor roll and applies the desired pressureat the point of contact, which pressure can be regulated as desired bythe turnbuckle arrangement ii. In the position shown,.the eccentric i2is a trifle past the center line, thereby locking said hold-down roll inposition. When the hand lever 16 is rotated to contact the stop I'I, thehold-down roll-6 is mbved away. from the strip material by reason :0!the rotation of the eccentrics within their. cooperating eccentricstraps. This permits the ready threading of the metallic strip over theconductor roll.

Under such a construction, quick release of the hold-down roll ispossible and such release will not afiect the amount of pressure appliedwhen is had to the accompanying drawing, in .which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the present invention; and, 1

Figure 2 is a section on line 11-11 of Figure 1. In the drawing, theconductor roll 2 is shown as being supported by bearing brackets 3 whichare fastened to supporting members 4 secured to beams 5 forming a partof a supporting frame (not-shown). V Metallic strip S is indicated aspassing over the conductor roll 2. Since it is desired that electricalenergybe transferred to the strip from said conductor roll in the mosteflicient manner, there are provided rubber covered hold-down rolls 6...These hold-down rolls are so positioned that they can, by means of themechanism to be subsequently described, be used to apply pressure to themetallic strip at the point at which the pass line of the strip isapproximately tangent to the periphery of said conductor roll. Thispoint of contact is chosen since it has been determined that most of thetransfer of the electric energy takes place in this vicinity.

The hold-down rolls 6 are mounted on shafts I carried by bearings ofconventional design. The bearings are supported by arms 8 pivotallyconnectedvto a cross member 9 which is secured to the beams 5. Extendingbetween the arms g supporting each hold-down roll is a shaft I0. Mountedon each end of said shaft III is an the hold-down roll is again broughtinto engagement with the strip. By providing such a holddownarrangement, damage to the surface of the metallic strip caused byarcing is eliminated.

This is of particular importance in continuous electroplating processes;for example, in the continuous electroplatingof steel strip, since itultimately results in defects in the coating applied to the strip.- a

While we have shown and described a specific embodiment of the. presentinvention, it will be seen that we donotwish' to be limited exactlythereto, since various modifications may be made without departing fromthe scope of the invention, as defined by the following claim.

We claim:

In combination with a plating tank for electroplating metallic strip, aconductor roll for supplying electric current to the metallic strip,said conductor roll being mounted with its axis occupying asubstantially horizontal plane and so I disposed with respect tothe'plating tank as to cause the strip to move substantially verticallyinto and out of the same, and means for holding the metallic strip in'positive contact with said conductor roll at points where it moves intoand eccentric 12 which is capable of rotation within shaft III. Securedto the arms 8 are stops l'lv and 18 for limiting the throw of the handlever IB.- When the hand lever I6 is in the position shown, that isagainst the stop 18, the holddown roll is forced into contact with themetallic out of contact therewith;- said means comprising a pivotedsubstantially vertically depending supporting arm on either side of saidconductor roll, a rotatable roll carried by each of said supporting armswith its axis in substantial parallelismwith the axis of said conductcrroll, a pair of links, means for anchoring one end of cache! said links,eccentric means connecting each of said'links with one of saidsupporting arms, and means for operating each of said eccentric means,whereby each of said lest named rolls are moved into and out of contactwith said conductor roll at points where the metallic strip moves intoand out or contact therewith.

- HOWARD G. BARGI 'ELDI.

